The Villain's Counterattack

Chapter 596 How Long Can I Stay on the Throne of Emperor?

Discussing Taoism broadened Ning Daoqi's horizons and enhanced his knowledge. Most of the methods provided were difficult, but in fact, if he could really let go of his face, it would not be difficult to find a solution. However, the Grand Master is the Grand Master, and he still has to save face.

Ning Daoqi soon found out what Xiaoyaozi meant by the Buddhist movement. On the occasion of the Duke of Liaodong's wedding, people all over the world turned their attention to the north, but a major event happened in Yangzhou City, Jiangdu.

Master Daoxin, one of the four great monks of Buddhism, and his disciple Yinzhao visited Emperor Yang Guang in an open and aboveboard manner and made a request that surprised him greatly.

Rather than saying it was a request from Master Daoxin, it would be more accurate to say it was a request from the Buddhist disciple Yin Zhao. This boy was less than thirty years old, but he had master-level martial arts skills. His internal strength, body, moves, realm, Buddhist teachings, and even his appearance were quite impressive.

He sincerely requested Yang Guang to grant him a document, expressing his willingness to travel step by step on foot to India to seek the true Buddhist scriptures. He said very earnestly that Buddhism had been introduced to the Central Plains for hundreds and thousands of years, and not only had it been seriously lost, but it had also been seriously distorted, so he wanted to go to India to seek the original Buddhist scriptures.

Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty was overjoyed upon hearing this, and rewarded Master Daoxin handsomely, bestowed upon him the surname of the emperor, distributed jade documents, gold and silver, fast horses, and an elite guard team.

Yin Zhao accepted the gift but declined the fast horse, saying that he was on a pilgrimage on foot and that to seek the true scriptures he had to show his sincerity. He did not need any tools such as fast horses or boats. He had to walk to India step by step on foot to show his sincerity. As for the guards sent by Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty, it was even more impossible for him to accept them.

However, Master Daoxuan said that he would not be traveling alone on this journey. Two of the four great monks, Jiaxiang of the Three Treatise School and Dixin of the Huayan School, would accompany him. In addition, there would be a man from the Buzhou Trading Company who was proficient in Sanskrit to escort him all the way. That man had visited India twice and was an old hand who knew the way well.

Yang Guang showered him with exaggerated rewards, and even promised that if Master Yin Zhao could really obtain the true scriptures and return, he would build a Hongfa Temple outside Yangzhou City for him to study Indian Buddhism. Master Daoxuan and Yin Zhao thanked him and left after a long time.

Deep in the palace, Yang Guang saw a piece of intelligence that there was an internal conflict in Wagang, and the leader Zhai Rang died in Xingyang City. Li Mi completely controlled the Wagang Army and became the real leader of Wagang. He issued the Pushan Order to hunt down Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, two gangsters who had learned the secret of immortality and had clues to Yang Gong's treasure house.

"Are these two guys your people?" Yang Guang knocked on the table with a little curiosity on his face. These two guys were born in Yangzhou and started to make a fortune slowly after he had the good fortune to visit Yangzhou. It didn't seem like a coincidence at all, but in fact they really had no direct relationship with the Tianluodiwang.

A voice came from behind the screen, "Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling are thugs from Yangzhou City. They have an unknown relationship with Shi Long, the Mountain Pusher. They are suspected to be descendants of the Taoist school. They disappear inexplicably every year. They are literate and clever. They stole the original copy of the 'Eternal Life Secret' from Yuwen Zongguan's men and later befriended the Goguryeo assassin Fu Junchuo."

At this point, Yang Guang showed a mocking smile on his face. "Lord Yang, you have reaped great rewards from your campaigns. However, if you say that whoever possesses Lord Yang's treasure will rule the world, I won't believe a single word. The person who spreads such rumors has ill intentions."

"It's not just the foreigners who have evil intentions. The Cihang Jingzhai is no exception. They hold the Heshi Bi to choose the emperor on behalf of Heaven. How arrogant!" The voice behind the screen was filled with murderous intent. "The Chu Duke's rebellion was manipulated by the Buddhist sect and the Hebei noble families. After his defeat, some of his restless confidants crossed the sea to defect to Goguryeo. Before being brought back and executed by Your Majesty, they leaked many secrets to the Goguryeo king. That's how the Goguryeo female assassin learned the details of Yang Gong's treasure."

Yang Guang nodded slightly. He knew that Yang Gong's treasure became the cause of cholera in the Central Plains and the source was Goguryeo, but he did not believe a word of it. Yang Xuangan was unable to accomplish anything when he was away, let alone others. The so-called Yang Gong's treasure might have some wealth, but it was not worth his mobilization of troops.

As Yang Su's former superior, he knew Yang Su very well. Yang Su could not make any waves under him, let alone his son Yang Xuangan. It did scare him at that time. After all, Yang Xuangan was born in the Yang family of Hongnong, Longyou, which had a great impact on his status.

"How much longer can I remain emperor?" If Yang Guang's words were to get out, they would surely scare a crowd to death and delight a whole host. Someone behind the screen then said, "Kou and Xu, having obtained the Dongming Faction's weapons ledger, didn't rush into action. First, they encountered the great scholar Wang Tong at his birthday banquet, then, with the help of a maid they had once rescued, they took refuge in the home of Zhai Rang, the leader of the Wagang faction. This left many interested individuals with nowhere to turn."

"It was not until Li Mi took action to eliminate the leader Zhai Rang that the two guys escaped. A funny thing happened in the meantime." The person behind the screen smiled and said that the assassin of Butian Dao stole the roster from Shen Luoyan's hand, and accidentally met and stabbed Xu Ziling. If he had not seen the portraits of Kou and Xu, he would know that they were not enemies and were most likely friendly forces. He would have stopped in time and avoided causing any accidental killing.

"I never thought that the female military advisor of Wagang, Shen Luoyan, was also a good-looking person. I don't know when she actually fell in love with Xu Ziling and let them go without permission. On the way, she also met that little pervert Dugu Ba and almost got him pregnant."

Yang Guang narrowed his eyes slightly and said calmly, "I never thought that besides the Li and Yuwen clans, even the Dugu clan, a relative of the emperor, would have rebelled and prepared to start a rebellion against me, the unpopular emperor."

"That's not the case." A voice behind the screen said with some disdain, "Most of the men in the Dugu clan are useless. If they really did this, I would look up to them. Unfortunately, they are ultimately a bunch of losers. They want to seize the account book not for any other reason, but because they heard that the Dongming faction has a good relationship with Liaodong, and they are afraid that the account book contains too many secrets about Liaodong's purchase of weapons and armor. That's why they took the initiative to make a move to curry favor with the Duke of Liaodong."

Yang Guang couldn't help but burst out laughing upon hearing this. Ever since Yang Xuyan was introduced by the clan member behind the screen three years ago, Liaodong had become the Yang family's backyard. This was also the reason why Yang Guang was willing to send his youngest daughter, Yang Ruyi, to Liaodong and neglect her for so long. The dealings between Liaodong and the Dongming Sect had never been concealed from him; he knew more about them than even the accounts recorded.

Liaodong is not just Liaodong, there are also Jeju Island, Ryukyu Island, Luzon Island, Linyi, and Tuyuhun in the Western Regions. The Sui Dynasty only occupied the areas that were given to them. Outside the Sui Dynasty, except for one or two that were conquered by themselves, the others were laid by themselves. The imperial court was unable to rule and was taken advantage of by them.

Now Yang Guang already knows the true identity of his good friend Pei Ju, and not long ago he was told the true identity of Yang Xuyan, the youngest son of the former Crown Prince Yang Yong, the Taoist Master of Butian. This naturally triggered many thoughts in him. When did the Taoist Master of Butian appear in his sight?

When the eldest brother's seven sons were killed, it was the Bu Tian Dao who did it. If the leader of the Bu Tian Dao was the eldest brother's youngest son, then were his seven nephews really killed?

The controller of Tianluo did not hide the issue and told him directly that the seven princes were still there, six of whom were in the Liaodong forces. They were the ones who set up the Tiangang Big Dipper Sword Formation to stop Wu Zun Bi Xuan.

Yang Guang's expression was quite complicated. He knew that his elder brother could not compare with him in all aspects, but he had to admire him for having a son. It made him extremely speechless.

The person behind the screen continued, "Ever since the Dongming account books were stolen, the Yuwen clan has been actively preparing for war, controlling much of the Imperial Guards' authority. They're only waiting for an opportunity to launch an attack, and that opportunity lies with Kou and Xu."

Yang Guang laughed heartily. "What a loyal and patriotic Yuwen clan! They wouldn't rebel unless they were driven to certain death. Or are they waiting for me to take the initiative? Ridiculous, truly ridiculous! Yuwen Huaji will ultimately fail to achieve anything great. The Dugu clan, unaware of the truth, is actively pushing this matter forward in order to seize Liaodong and seize the opportunity to overthrow the Yuwen clan. But what about these slaves of the Baling Clan?"

Compared to the incompetent men of the Dugu clan, did the Baling clan overestimate themselves? Did they still believe that their emperor's words were final and could decide the fate of their clan? This was forcing the Yuwen clan into rebellion.

"Perhaps they've been slaves for so long that servility has become ingrained in their bones, blinding them to many things. Or perhaps your majesty's past military achievements have been so brilliant that they've blinded their eyes. By comparison, the Li clan, who have been recruiting troops and rebelling in Taiyuan since the account books were stolen, are the most sober and pose the greatest threat now, having already taken preliminary control of the old capital, Chang'an."

Yang Guang was silent for a moment, and suddenly he sighed softly: "It turns out that I won't be able to sit on the throne for long. In this case, I will indulge myself and give more help to Liaodong. I just don't know how many people under me will still be obedient to me, an emperor who is about to die." There was a bit of sadness in his words.

"Your Majesty will not pass away, but will simply turn from the bright to the dark, from the Emperor of the Great Sui Dynasty to the Martial Emperor of the Jianghu."

Yang Guang's spirits lifted upon hearing this, and he said with a chuckle, "That's true. I'm not completely without anything. I still have a network of heaven and earth, and a group of secret imperial guards. Isn't Li Mi, the Pushan Lord, quite arrogant? I'll start my first battle with him when I first enter the martial arts world. And the Zheng family of Xingyang, when I was the Son of Heaven, I couldn't do anything to you openly, but as the Martial Emperor of the martial arts world, it's different. The Sui army has 108 scouts, no, that's my underground network of 108 assassins!"